Cue rack or the like



Sept, 4, 1928.

, -'r. DROST CUE RACK OR IHE LIKE IINVENTOR Filed Dec. 1927 JVMMMZZ? BY ATTORNEY 1 WITNESSES Maw F1:

Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

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means @lFiFlei THOMAS DROST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNGR T0 H. NAG-HER AND ADLER (10., 0'5

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPOBATION OF NEW YORK.

CUE RACK OR THE LIKE.

Application filed December 2, 1927. Serial No. 237,268.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of an improved rack for supporting billiard cues or the like.

For the sake of co venience of description, the device will be referred to throughout the specification and claims as a cue rack. It is to be understood however, that this term is intended to cover all generally analogous structures such for instance as gun racks, whip racks and other holding devices used for supporting elongated portable articles of any kind in vertical position.

An object of the invention is to provide a cue rack in which the use of pockets, spring clips, or other mechanism for securing the upper ends of the cues is entirely eliminated, and the cuesretained in proper substantially vertical position by pockets in the lower horizontal rail of the rack. The rack near its top may be provided with a notched member for preventing lateral tilting movement of the cues, but the special types of pockets in the lower rail are in themselves sufficient to prevent any outward swinging movement of the upper ends of the cues.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cue rack in which cues may be readily emplaced, and in which there is no danger of marring a one tip as the cue is placed in the rack.

Other and more general objects of the invention are to provide a cue rack of simple, practical construction, which will be rugged, durable and ellicient in use, and well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture.

' Vith the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a cue rack embodying the invention with part of the lower rail broken away and in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but with the cues removed.

In the drawings have used the reference numeral to designate the backboard of my improved cue rack, this board being adapted to be secured in vertical position against a wall or other suitable support. Near the top of the board, a horizontal upper rail 11 is secured to the forwardface of the board near the upper end of the latter, this rail preferably having notches 12 therein for the reception of the smaller or tipped ends of cues 13 retained in the rack. N ear the bot-' tom of the backboard 10, a lower horizontal rail 14; is provided, this rail being parallel with the upper rail 12 and adapted to receive the butts of the cues 13.

The rail 1a is provided with a plurality of spaced cue-lnitt-receiving pockets 15 therein. Pockets 15 are preferably of circular shape in cross section, and of larger diameter than the diameter of the cue butts to be received therein. They are open bottomed, extending entirely through the rail, and their longitudinal axes from top to bottom incline away from the vertical plane of the back-board. The manner in which these inclined open bottomed pockets engage a, cue butt and force the upper end of a one into its notch 12 is best seen in Fig. 2, where a cue is shown in its normal position in the rack. It will be noted that one edge of the cue butt'is resting against the rear inclined face 16 of the pocket, and the front portion of the cue immediately above the butt is bearing against the corner at 17 defined by the intersection of the forward pocket wall with the upper surface of the rail 14-. The upper tipped end of the cue is bearing against the bottom of its notch 12. As the one is dropped into the pocket, a fulcruming action occurs; the corner 17 serving as a fulcrum, and the pocket walls servingas a cam to force the one about the fulcrum 17 to an extent limited by the engagement of the cue end with the bottom of the notch 12.

It is apparent that the one cannot slip through the open bottomed pocket 15 without assuming an angle which is substantially parallel with the aXis of the pocket; such an angle of course cannot be assumed by the cue due to the presence of the rail 11. By virtue of this arrangement, the cue when it is dropped into the pocket, always swings into the correct position shown in Fig. 2; the use of spring clips, pockets in the upper rail, or similar mechanism is avoided. No

dirt can collect in the pockets 15 inasmuch as they are open bottomed.

It will be apparent that the backboard 10 might be completely eliminated if desired, and the upper and lower rails 11 and 14 supported directly upon vertical side pieces 20.

The raclr may be made of any suitable material. I do not wish to limit myself in this respect as there are an infinite variety of materials which mioht be used in manufacturing the device.

Obviously, various changes and alterations miqht be made in the general. form and ar- C s rangeacnt ot the parts described without depar .ng troni the iuv-entnni. Hence i do not wish tolimit myself to the details set torth but shall consider m self at a J to make such chan es and alteration: a

fairly fall within the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a cue rack or the like comprising a support having spaced upper and lower horizontal rails, the upper rail having notches in its edges to rcceive the smaller ends oi cue, the lower rail having pockets therein receiving the cue butts, the walls of said pockets being unbroken and inclined, the longitudinal axes of said pockets from top to bottom inclining; outwardly away from the support whereby the gravity-assisted. cumming action of the pocket walls on the cue butts throws the upper ends of the cues into the notches.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a cue rack or the like comprisn a support having; spaced upper and lower-horizontal rails, the upper rail having notches in its edges to receive the smaller ends of cues, the lower rail hav pockets therein receiving the cue butts, the walls of said poclzets'trom top to bottom inclining outwardly away from the support whereby the gravity-assisted canin'iing action of the pocket walls on the cue butts throws the upper ends of the cues into the notches, said pockets being open bottomed and of circular cross section.

Siqned at New York, in the county oi llew York and. State of New York, this 17th day oi No "ember, A. D. 1927.

THOMAS DROST. 

